World War II Honoree

Earl Frederick Fair

Branch of Service

U.S. Marine Corps

Hometown

Greeneville, Tennessee

Honored By

Orville L. Kline

Rank: Private First Class. He was inducted into the United States Marine Corps February 3, 1942 at New Orleans, Louisiana, with recruit training, assigned to the Second Recruit Battalion Training Regiment; Marine Corps Base in San Diego, California. Upon his graduation from Boot Camp, he was transferred to Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, California for his combat training. Served as a Rifleman with the Twenty-Second Marine Regiment in the North Pacific Theater of Operations, assigned to Kilo Company, Third Battalion and Fifth Amphibious Corps. His regiment participated in the Battle of Eniwetok Atoll (Battle Dates: February 17-23, 1944) Code name: Operation Flintlock, Marshall Islands Campaign. Killed in Action Sunday, February 20, 1944 during combat operations against the Imperial Japanese forces on the Eniwetok Islet, Eniwetok Atoll, and buried in the Coral Sands battlefield cemetery on Kirinian Island. After the cessation of hostilities with Japan, the family of this Marine received his remains for burial. He was laid to rest with Military Honors, November 3, 1947 at the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery in Greeneville, Tennessee. This American Patriot was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously, for his ultimate sacrifice in defense of his country.